Football - Benitez understands Chelsea's lack of home comforts

Chelsea boss Rafael Benitez believes football reasons rather than the atmosphere at Stamford Bridge can explain the difference in his side's home and away form.

The Blues were at their best at Stoke's Britannia Stadium on Saturday, thumping the hosts 4-0 to end an unbeaten home Barclays Premier League run that went back to February and handing the Potters their worst home defeat since promotion in 2008.

Chelsea arrived in Staffordshire with the heat again on Benitez after back-to-back home defeats, to QPR in the league and Swansea in the first leg of the Capital One Cup semi-final.

The tone was set when interim boss Benitez was roundly booed by his own supporters in his first home game against Manchester City in November, and the fans again made their feelings felt during Wednesday's loss to the Swans.

Since the Spaniard took charge, Chelsea have lost twice and drawn twice at Stamford Bridge, while they have won all but one of their matches on the road.

Benitez said: "Against Swansea it was two individual mistakes but we created a lot of chances and we could have scored a lot of goals.

"The other team is compact and deep and it's not easy to find the space. When you play away the other team is coming against you and you have more space."